See better roads as an essential part of smart, sustainable communities

If you believe that our parents and grandparents gave us an enormous gift by expanding our sense of freedom and opportunity when they built the vehicles and highways that connected our country. And that it is time for our generation to pay it forward to our children…

If these ideas matter to the people you represent, then the American Highway Users Alliance is your ally in an important national debate over the future of transportation in the United States. Our diverse, broad membership allows us to speak on behalf of the motoring public’s interest, rather than the special interest.

Find out more about what matters to us and why you should join:

Roadway Conditions

Since 1970, we’ve doubled the number of vehicles on our roads and increased miles driven 150%. Yet miles of roads have only grown a scant 6%. That means more people driving more cars more miles on about the same system of roads we had 40 years ago. The resulting traffic congestion, safety problems, and poor road conditions are a direct consequence of our failure to invest wisely.

Anti-Highway Adversaries

Rather than focusing on helping America to get moving again, well-funded anti-highway groups and their political allies cast drivers, vehicles, and mobility itself as the cause of society’s problems and never acknowledge the overwhelming benefits. These groups also use government bureaucracy as a tool to slow or stop vital projects and force longer and more complex “planning” studies. When projects are delays and costs escalate, these groups claim victory.

Anti-highway groups also refuse to acknowledge that our country’s economic growth has been tightly correlated to the amount of miles we travel. When travel drops suddenly, the nation’s Gross Domestic Product quickly follows. Yet, unconscionably, anti-highway advocates lobby for public policies to limit the miles we travel, coerce people out of their cars, drive up parking prices and availability, and pursue policies to “encourage” people to live in high-density neighborhoods where driving costs more. These groups almost never consider the practical impact of these policies, such as the difficulty of businesses to get products delivered to their store shelves.

But anti-highway activists have seemingly unlimited financial resources. Private foundations are critical to their ability to fund their lobbying and media operations. Although The Highway Users can’t come close to matching their funds, we are proud to be a consistent thorn in their side, finding political and media allies from across the political spectrum – Democrats, Republicans, and Independents — to block their anti highway, anti-driver agenda.

Consequences of Failure

The Highway Trust Fund is currently insolvent; Congress has failed to authorize a new multi-year highway bill; state and federal highway budgets are being cut; and the dwindling funding left in the trust fund falls far short of the amount needed to keep America moving safely. Yet, even now there are those who remain focused on diverting what little is left of our fuel, truck and tire taxes away from roads and bridges. Above the fray, The Highway Users is the voice of reason, engaging the media and politicians with clear solutions that benefit real public and the public interest – demanding that the “trust” be put back into a well-funded and growing Highway Trust Fund.

Our Solutions

Safety investments and research into new affordable technologies that will reduce nearly 34,000 annual fatalities to zero.

A re-centering of media and political debate about the value of good highways and unfettered mobility to marginalize those who cast driving and increased road capacity in a negative light.

A transformation of our failing highways into a mobile national network of congestion-free roads with fast, reliable service that your business can count on for efficient deliveries and profitability.

Improved rural and urban accessibility to business and leisure locations you want your shoppers, tourists, business travelers, and other commuters to reach.

The American Highway Users Alliance has a successful track record since 1932 of influencing transportation public policy, bringing to the table fresh ideas to meet the needs of changing times. We have successfully fought for maximum funding of our nation’s highway and bridge infrastructure through the Highway Trust Fund. We propose…